So now that we have a reasonable set up for work, see yesterdays blog if you haven't! Today is all about ingredients and measurements. I will be sticking to the basics for now. Many of these things you likely already have, but there will be a few newer, important items as well. So get your shopping list together, and get ready for the lessons to come over the next few weeks!
The list is in order of usage and importance with side notes on types & brands
Sugar; granulated white ,raw, brown and 10X icing sugar
Alternative sweeteners; honey, maple syrup, corn syrup. I personally don't use chemical sweeteners!! PERIOD
Sea Salt
Flour; AP, Pastry & Bread
Yeast; active dry or fresh
Vanilla; beans or pure extract, Tahitian, Mexican or Madagascar. NO ARTIFICIAL CRAP
Butter; unsalted, at least 80% BF
Cream; whole milk 3.5% and 35% cream
Eggs; free range large or extra large 50-55 grams each
Nuts; whole preferred, you can make your own sliced and ground nut meals...or buy them.
Pectin
Fondant
Chocolate; cocoa powder, dark, milk and white. Use a high quality "Belgian" style pistols or blocks. I recommend https://cococochocolatiers.com
Spices; as needed, cinnamon, clove, ginger, etc
Cornstarch
Baking soda, powder and cream of tartar
Seasonal fruits; try to avoid out of season produce. Keep it local with some exceptions made for unusual tropical fruits that are native to there location.
And that's about it for the list, as I mentioned many of these things you likely have in your larder. There will be some exceptions, but as we move forward, I'll try to stick to the list!
GETTING READY TO PREPARE YOUR FIRST RECIPE
One thing I want to emphasize is the need for organization! Baking & Pastry is a science, and requires precise measurement and the use of formulas. I won't bog you down to much with formulas yet, I'll introduce them as the need arises. By organization, I mean pre preparation. Here are the steps I use to begin baking a cake. The steps are pretty much always the same for any baking or pastry item you make.
Gather your tools and pans(prepped for baking)
Scale all the ingredients
Preheat the oven
Prepare ingredients in the proper order, mixing, folding, whipping, etc
Pan the product
Bake & Cool
Finishing touches, masking, decorating and garnishing
In the business, we call this "mis en plac". A place for everything, and everything in it's place!
Thanks for dropping by, join me tomorrow for our first recipe. Hey, maybe I'll start with something for your New Years Eve celebrations! Cheers!
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